“Well I feel horrid. I was feeling off last week. Nothing too bad, but I think it finally caught up to me. Sorry if I gave you my cold.” Ollie’s hand reaches across the table and he snags my breadstick, taking a big bite from the end. Without thought I reach over and snatch it right back shoving the next bite in my mouth. His lips round in surprise before a chuckle leaves his chest.
He glances up behind me. “Remind me not to steal her food, she’s kinda greedy.” The words are spoken lightly, but I feel a tinge of embarrassment anyway.
“I’m sorry, here.” I try to hand him the breadstick, my eyes on the table. Arm still outstretched, I scoot over when someone bends into the booth next to me.
I feel a hand on my wrist, gently pushing. “Laura, I was just kidding, eat.” Ollie doesn’t sound affronted, he sounds genuine. I peek up at him, and I notice his eyes are brighter and he has a slight flush to his cheeks.
I feel an arm lift and land on the back of the bench behind me. Turning my head, I see Milo, his hair is disheveled and he’s wearing a threadbare green t-shirt. Is he getting sick too?
I swirl my fork in the red sauce on the plate, still hungry, but a little self-conscious to eat when they aren’t. “Eat Laura, we already had dinner,” Milo tells me like he knows exactly what I’m thinking. I take a quick look over my shoulder, making sure no one needs anything before scooping up my next bite. Within minutes I’m already feeling better. I need to make sure I’m eating regularly or I really will end up sick.
Ollie jumps up with much more pep in his step as he swaggers up to the counter. I track him as he hops over the bar. “Oliver,” Maggie scolds, catching him in the act as she returns from the kitchen.
Unabashed, Ollie grabs a cloth from the bleach bucket and makes a point of walking all the way around to the booth that was just vacated by an older couple. He drops the damp towel on the table before gathering the mugs and plates left behind, taking them to the kitchen. My cheeks heat, will Maggie think he’s doing my job? I turn to Milo to ask him to let me up, but he just nods down to my half-full plate of food. “He’s just cleaning up one table Laura, this is probably your first break?” I nod my head confirming his assumption. “Just eat while we finish up so we can get out of here.” I open my mouth to argue, but Milo surprises me. He slowly trails his finger from my cupid’s bow and down over both of my lips, effectively halting my refusal. “Before you argue, it’s for selfish reasons. Everyone is waiting at home.”
Suddenly, Milo’s out of the seat and taking up where Ollie left off, taking the dishes into the back. I eat as much as I’m comfortable with, grabbing a small takeaway box without meeting Maggie’s eyes. She’s been in the back for the most part, but there’s no way she didn’t know the guys were helping me get ready to end my shift.
Maggie kicks us out about twenty minutes earlier than usual, with three of us closing up everything was done quicker than I’m used to. She gives each of the boys a short hug, and then makes her way over to me. Wrapping her arms around me she whispers in my ear, “I knew you were coming.” I stiffen in her arms wondering what she means. She holds on as I try to pull back. “Your journey hasn’t been an easy one. I wish I could tell you all of that will change now, but I won’t lie to you.” Finally, she pulls back, still holding my shoulders. “They’ll come for your power.” Maggie’s eyes cloud over in white as her head lulls back on her neck.
“Maggie?” My panicked tone has Milo rushing over to his grandma. Her grip on my arms tightens and she flinches.
“Gran?” Milo calls sternly as her head lifts and she looks over in his direction, eyes still milky white. “Be ready son, all of you need to be ready.” Maggie wilts into Milo’s arms, finally releasing me. I cross my arms, rubbing the places her hands were. Ollie comes up behind me, pulling me into his chest.
Maggie opens her eyes to reveal the soft blue I’m used to. Her face scrunches. “Oh damn, that was a bad one.” She looks from me, to Ollie, then to Milo who is still next to her.
“Do you remember anything Gran?” Milo grabs her hand, staring between her eyes.
Maggie pinches her lips and bring a hand up to pat her hair. “Milo, you know how it works. I don’t remember anything. What did I say?”
Milo turns to me, I slump my shoulders under his scrutiny. Ollie’s arms wrap over the top of my chest in a protective manor. “It’s okay Laura, Maggie is like us. She’s like a precog, or an oracle. What did she say to you?”
I glace at Maggie freaked out that I’ve found myself in the middle of some alternate reality. “Laura,” Milo urges.
“She…” My brain isn’t coming up with what she said.
“Laura?” Milo barks. I jump, his urgency not helping calm me enough to make me remember.
I try again “She said… she knew I was coming, or something like that.” I look at Maggie, hoping it will jump-start my thoughts and my teeth start to chatter together. The memory of her eyes going white instills a fear in me that the darkness in Ares’s eyes didn’t.
“Did she say anything else?” Ollie prods from over my shoulder.
I clear my throat. “Something about power, they were coming for the power. Then her eyes went white and I yelled.”
Milo spins back to face off with his grandmother. “Do you have any idea what you could have meant?”
Maggie’s face tightens. “Milo, I’m giving you some leeway cause you’re my grandson, but don’t you dare look at me like that boy. You think if I knew anything I wouldn’t tell you?” She turns away from him, crossing her arms. Milo looks down and places his hand on Maggie’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry Gran, I didn’t mean…”
“Yeah, well you better start meaning what you say and owning your actions.” Her eyebrows rise in challenge as she gives him a perfected side eye. “Now take Laura home, and if you damn fools don’t get your shit together to help her through this process, I’m going to make all of you pick a switch.” With that Maggie turns on her heels and storms to the kitchen door, letting it slap closed behind her.
Eighteen
Ollie leads me from the restaurant with his hands on my upper shoulders. The black Range Rover is parked right outside the door. It chirps and the lights flash when we get close. I’m ushered into the passenger seat, and Ollie leans over me to grab my seatbelt but I swat his hands away. I’m not an invalid. Milo jogs out seconds later, climbing into the backseat.
I barely remember the ride to Dante’s house. The shock of seeing Maggie’s eyes cloud over stays with me the whole ride, along with her warning. Now that the pressure is off me, and I have a second to recall her words, they come easily. I’m completely clueless as to whom she was referring to, but it sounds like we need to be worried.
There’s a small black car parked in front of the garage as we pull up to the main house. I’m instantly on edge. I reach down for my bag out of habit, only to remember I didn’t grab it from the diner. The passenger door opens as I curse under my breath.
“What’s wrong?” Dante asks, poking his head into the car.
“I forgot my bag at Maggie’s.” Feeling dejected, I hit the button to release my seatbelt. Dante leans back enough so I can slide out.
“We can grab it on the way to school tomorrow, come on.” The door to Dante’s clubhouse opens, not revealing anything but shadows. I stop, waiting for whomever it is to step into the circle of light coming from the lamps on the garage. Ares moves into the light with the woman from this morning tucked under his arm. An unwarranted jealous rage tightens my throat. I clench my fist, fighting my body’s reaction, wanting to go over there and remove his arm from around her. My focus is solely on him as my vision starts to waver. I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding my breath. I turn my back on them, disgusted with Ares and myself for how I’m feeling.
When I turn to Dante, he’s watching the couple behind me. I don’t wait for him, instead I rush up the few stairs leading to a side door Milo and Ollie already disappeared through. It opens to a small mudr
oom. Several sets of shoes line the wall behind the door, and I kick off my worn sneakers, keeping them away from any of the others. My shoes stick out here, just like I do.
I take a few more steps into the room, looking past the doorframe into the space beyond. It opens up to a long narrow hallway with a closed door on the right, and set of stairs leading up to the second floor at the other end. Uncertain where to go, I wait for Dante to come in. I just want to take a shower and climb in bed; I’m so tired of this constant upheaval. I let my back hit the wall, sliding down to the floor beside my shoes.
A door opens nearby and Ollie pokes his head into the mudroom, searching around before his gaze lands on me where I sit on the floor. His brows furrow, “What are you doing, where is Dante and Ares?”
I roll my eyes and shrug. “Out there still with that woman, I guess.” The exterior door opens, emitting Dante and Ares. Neither of them gets very far when they see me sitting on the floor and Ollie leaning on the doorframe. “What’s going on?” Ares questions, looking back and forth between Ollie and me.
“I just asked that question.” Ollie crosses his arms over his chest, somehow looking down on Ares and Dante even though I think they each have an inch or two on him. Ares pushes past Dante, coming to stand in front of me. He reaches his hand out, offering it to me. I ignore it, standing on my own. He just had that hand wrapped around someone else, as irrational as it is, he’s not touching me.
I turn my back on him and Dante, approaching Ollie. “I forgot my bag at the diner, I could really use a hot shower and a t-shirt to sleep in, if those things are available. I just need a corner to crash in.” I let the exhaustion I’m battling seep into my tone.
Ollie bends his knees making us eyelevel; he searches my face then nods his head. “Everything can wait, come on.” His arm goes around my shoulder, and I allow him to lead me down the hallway and up the stairs. He turns to the second door on the left, opening it and urging me to enter.
It’s dark until he swipes his hand to the right of the entryway. A small overhead chandelier flickers to life, casting the room in a dim glow. Straight ahead are two long windows reaching almost from floor to ceiling. The wooden casings are a dark wood, which matches the floor. Against the right wall is a bed a little wider than the one I have in the trailer, it’s covered in a soft yellow and white quilt. There’s a dainty white vanity with three mirrors against the same wall as the door to the hallway. To the left, there’s a slightly ajar door and a sliding door that looks to be a closet.
I don’t see any personal touches, no photos or knickknacks. It’s just a spare room. I snort. It’s nicer than anything I’ll probably ever own, and it doesn’t look like anyone has stepped foot in here in ages. “Do you not like it?” Ollie questions me.
“It’s great Ollie, thanks.”
He sounds unsure when he responds, “Okay, well the shower is right through there. I’ll see what I can do about rounding you up something to sleep in.”
I don’t wait for any more instructions. Finding the light switch, I peer into a white tiled bathroom with a closed door opposite of the one I came in.
I start peeling off my clothes the second I see the shower. It’s simple, something I expect to see in any nice hotel. A silver showerhead pokes out of the wall with a tub beneath, just in case you need a bath. I turn the left knob all the way and spin the right just a little, wanting the heat to wash away everything I’m feeling.
I haven’t been in long when there’s a light tapping on the door. “Yeah,” I croak, my throat tight.
“Oliver said you needed something to sleep in.” I cross my arms over my body, hiding, even though I’m behind the thick white curtain when I hear Ares’s voice in the bathroom. He’s the last person I want in here.
“I’ll be right out… thanks,” I mutter though clenched teeth. The door closes with a small click. I drop my forehead to the wall, letting the hot water beat on my back and neck. My hair is going to pay for this, there isn’t any soap, shampoo, or conditioner in here, but a least I showered earlier. I was looking more for an escape than needing to get clean anyway.
Finally, I turn off the water, letting the cool air sting my skin as the water drips off my body. Opening the curtain, I find a fluffy black towel, a thick pair of gray wool socks, and a black t-shirt folded next to the sink. Pulling the towel from the bottom, I shiver as I run it over my hair. I can’t help but look into the big mirror over the counter. My waist is a little more pinched in than usual and my cheeks look hallow. I haven’t lost that much weight, but I look a little sickly. The last few weeks have definitely taken a toll on me.
I wrap the towel around my chest after a brief pat dry and sit on the closed toilet lid. I can’t find the energy to dress myself. I feel like if I walk out of this room, I’ll have to deal with all the crap that’s waiting for me.
Someone taps on the door again. “You okay in there?” Ollie’s voice comes from the other door. He’s a little easier to deal with and he’s the only one of them that has been consistently kind to me.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” I stand, knowing I can’t stay in here forever. I debate putting my panties back on, but the thought skeeves me out. Shaking out the shirt, a warm musky scent fills the room. Bringing the fabric to my nose, I inhale. Either someone sprayed this shirt with cologne, or it’s been worn. Ares couldn’t even find me a clean shirt? I’m assuming it’s his since he’s the one who brought it to me. I almost drop it to the floor, but something stops me. I want to wear his shirt, I like that fact he had it on first—the realization pisses me off. But I slide the soft fabric over my head anyway. It falls to mid-thigh, concealing the fact I don’t have any underwear on.
I wrap the damp towel over my hair then pile up my dirty clothes, preparing to leave the warm bathroom. A rush of cool air hits my face and bare legs the moment I open the door to the yellow room. I turn, intending to hang my clothes over the chair of the vanity. I’ll need them tomorrow until I can retrieve my bag from the diner.
Gasping, I hold in a screech as I find Ares tucked into the corner, blending in with the shadows. “Why are you lurking in here? Come to make sure I’m not stealing the linens?” I snap at him, startled by his appearance.
“Milo said Maggie had a vision,” he replies, ignoring my questions.
“Well then I’m sure he also told you I have no idea what she was talking about, or what it means.”
“He did, but maybe Milo didn’t ask the right questions.”
I drop my bundle on the vanity, picking my jeans out of the pile. Shaking them out I drape them over the back of the chair, then move to my shirt to do the same. My bra and panties are balled up together, so I snatch them up to put under the shirt. “You got the right questions then?”
“Maybe.”
I peer over my shoulder. Ares pulls away from the corner of the room, moving closer to the bed.
Spinning around, I glare at him with my arms crossed over my chest. “You want to holler at me until I remember more too? Go ahead.”
“You’ll find I don’t do much hollering, as you call it. I find it unnecessary.” I snort, imagining that to be true. Ares has a look about him that makes you want to tell him what he wants to know before he even asks. “Oliver mentioned you were tired. Would you like to lie down?” Ares pulls the thick quilt out from under the pillows, revealing clean white sheets. What’s he up to?
Ares sighs. “You know, this must be some sort of payback for something we’ve done,” he mutters to himself, looking up at the ceiling with his hands braced on his hips. I lick my lips and tip my head, noticing he seems almost as confused as I am. I drop my arms thinking maybe I’m being a little harsh. This situation is new to all of us. I’ve been assuming, because they knew this might eventually happen, that they were better prepared for all the changes than I am. They are, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t struggling too. As a matter of fact, haven’t they told me exactly that more than once?
I let some of the anger and confusio
n fall away, making the decision to assist them with helping me understand what being part of their Infinity will mean for us. Now I just need to drop the jealousy I can’t seem to curb when it comes to the guys.
Taking a deep breath, I tug the damp towel from my hair, letting it fall to the floor before shuffling over to the bed. I pass Ares and climb into the sheets. A tapping on the door has us both looking in that direction. Dante pokes his head in after opening the door before either of us have a chance to respond. He looks from me to his brother, then pushes the door the rest of the way open and enters, heading straight for the end of the bed. Claiming a seat, he looks at Ares, waiting for his direction.
“Are the others coming?”
“Milo had to finish up a call, they’ll be right up,” Dante replies.
Ares nods his head and his lips harden into a thin line. “Listen, Laura, before they come up there’s something I need to say.”
“Ares…” Dante warns.
Ares looks at his brother. “Not everyone agrees with me that right now is the right time to tell you, but—”
“Try none of us agree,” Dante interrupts. My eyes volley between the two of them waiting to see what Ares is going to say.
“Well I think it will make everything easier once you understand a few things about how an Infinity works.” I nod my head eagerly, that’s what I want. Ares sits on the edge of the bed facing me. “Uh… so,” Ares stumbles over the words. It’s strange to see someone who has appeared so self-assured and confident stammer. Maybe I don’t want to know what he’s about to say. Ares takes both hands and scrubs them over his face. “I never thought I’d be explaining this to anyone,” he mumbles to himself. “How old are you?” His eyes go wide, as if he’s just now considering this.
“Seventeen, almost eighteen. Why?” What could my age have to do with what he’s about to tell me?
Ares blows out a heavy breath. “Could be worse.”
“Can someone please just tell me what’s going on?” I’m getting frustrated again. Dante shakes his head but doesn’t add anything. It’s clear he thinks it’s a bad idea.
Infinity Chronicles Book One: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Series Page 17